Review: Perfect Lies (Mind Games, #2)

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Mind Games, #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: Feb 18th 2014
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 230 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

The first thing you should know is that I absolutely loved MIND GAMES. And then here comes the second thing, I hated PERFECT LIES. Ha.

Never has a sequel disappointed me as much as PERFECT LIES did. When I read MIND GAMES, I was thoroughly intrigued by White's slightly peculiar writing style and the premise of evil organizations controlling teenage girls who have psychic abilities. Most of all, I adored the dual sister protagonists - Fia and Annie. The only issue I had then was that the worldbuilding was rather weak. But hey, that's what a sequel is for right? More in-depth plot/character developments, more dramatic confrontations, and more mind-boggling conspiracies. The answer is NO! 

Review: Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings, #1)

Author: Jackson Pearce
Series: Fairytale Retellings, #1
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release: June 7th 2010
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 324 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Fairy tale retellings are without any doubt my number one soft spot when it comes to reading. Regardless of how well I know about the original fairy tale, I'm always easily entranced by the creativity and imagination that shined through each and every one of the newly-reinvented/reimagined stories. Except, perhaps, when such things do not exist at all in a book. I really wish I can leave some better parting words to SISTERS RED, but in the end, this is a fairy tale retelling that lacks everything.

Review + Giveaway: Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Mind Games, #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: Dec 3rd 2013
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 237 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Before Mind Games, I have never read anything by Kiersten White, despite her reputation and success from the bestselling Paranormalcy series. You see my friends, paranormal fantasy and I have never set well with each other, so much so that I would go out of my way to avoid it sometimes. But now, Mind Games has really shaken me to the core. It's thrilling. It's gripping. And most of all, it's different. I may have thrown out the word "unique" way more often than its weight deems, but if I were to pick one book to recognize for such quality, Mind Games would be my choice.

Review: The Lost Boys (The Lost Boys, #1)

Author: Lilian Carmine
Series: The Lost Boys, #1
Publisher: Ebury Press (Random House UK)
Release: Oct 24th 2013
Source: Netgalley
Pages: 512 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

An intensely addictive romance novel about girls, ghosts, and forbidden love, ideal for fans of Stephenie Meyer

Fate has brought them together. But will it also keep them apart? Having moved to a strange town, 17-year-old Joey Gray is feeling a little lost, until she meets a cute, mysterious boy near her new home. But there’s a very good reason why Tristan Halloway is always to be found roaming in the local graveyard. Perfect for fans of Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Kate, The Lost Boys is a magical, romantic tale of girl meets ghost.

I was never a fan of Stephenie Meyer despite her overwhelming fame brought on by the Twilight series. Thus, the tagline in the blurb did more damage than good when it comes to drawing my attention. But one can hardly ever walk away from a ghost story that easy, even though now I wish I had done just that.

Review: World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)

Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #2
Publisher: Skyscape (self published work)
Release: Nov 19th 2013
Source: Purchased
Pages: 320 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

It wasn't too long ago when I was left completely awestruck by Susan Ee's stunning debut Angelfall - an apocalyptic fantasy so flawlessly mixed with paranormal elements. It is a work of utter excellence and superiority when compared with many others. Hence, as soon as I got my hands on its sequel World After, I devoured it as fast as I could with eager anticipations. And believe me when I say it, Susan Ee does not disappoint. World After is yet another YA masterpiece you all ought to appreciate.

Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)

Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #1
Publisher: Skyscape (self published work)
Release: Aug 28th 2012
Source: Purchased
Pages: 288 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I can’t believe how long it took me to uncover Angelfall from my pile of TBR reads, 250 days to be exact. If not for Aneta’s recent review, it would still be buried among my kindle books with a slim chance of being rediscovered on its own. It is hard to imagine now what it would be like to miss this book for real, though I doubt it would be anything other than regretful.

Review: Rouge (Rouge, #1)

Author: Isabella Modra
Series: Rouge, #1
Publisher: Smashwords (self published work)
Release: August 20th 2013
Source: Author for review
Pages: 297 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

“You have a fire inside of you.”

Hunter Harrison is no superhero. She doesn't wear a cape, or a lycra suit, or prance around dark alleyways looking for punk-ass kids to torment. But Hunter has a power; the power to control fire. And it is one nasty flame brewing in her soul.

In the midst of her senior year, uncovering the truth about her parent's death and how she came to inherit such abilities, and falling in love with a nerdy activist from her school, Hunter finds herself in a battle with a supernatural flame that reacts to her every emotion. Anger, fear, even passion arouse the flame within and Hunter fights to keep her identity secret whilst also protecting those she loves.

But being a hero is easier said than done, especially when tragedy strikes and Hunter is forced to make a choice; let the fire take control and seek revenge for her loss, or walk away. But mercy is a bitch, especially when there’s a fire boiling inside her hotter than the darkest pits of hell.

When I first saw Rouge on Goodreads, I was immediately drawn to it by the cover. The floating fire along with the darkness surrounding it fired up my interest almost instantly. Needless to say, I was excited to pick it up. Unfortunately, Rouge is one of those books which have exquisite exteriors but fail to deliver anything memorable as far as stories and characters go. I guess it is true that you can never judge a book by its cover.

Review: Ethereal Fury (Gemini Rising, #1)

Author: Jessica O'Gorek
Series: Gemini Rising, #1
Publisher: Cogent Publishing (self published work)
Release: April 13th 2013
Source: Purchased
Pages: 278 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Angry at the human race and its methodical destruction of her resources, Mother Earth recruits souls who have just left their bodies to serve Her, and turns them against humanity. Gemini, a clan of paranormal beings, picked from these possessed humans, emerges. A powerful, rising force proceeds to carry out Mother Nature’s plan to systematically destroy towns, cities, states… and eventually, the world. Amidst the chaos, a forbidden relationship between a human girl, Violette, and Onyx, a lead Gemini, begins. They will both find themselves in the middle of a revolutionary war that will either save, or destroy our world.

I had high hopes for Ethereal Fury. It was both refreshing and exciting to find a paranormal novel that is not about vampires, werewolves, or angels. The concept of Mother Earth and how she plans to destroy human race due to our long-going destruction to the environment screamed originality and I couldn't wait to start it. Unfortunately, after a long reading struggle (I almost give up on this book 5 times), I have to conclude that Ethereal Fury was not what I have hoped at all and this left me very sour at heart. So, be prepared and let the rant begin.